T.A.T.U.

"t.A.T.u is about saying what you feel, not what others expect... Be in love. Be yourself. We are." -Lena, of t.A.T.u.

T.A.T.U. achieved instant fame and notoriety -- first in Eastern Europe, then the UK, and now America -- for their infectious pop stylings and fully exploited quasi-lesbianism. Their debut album, 200 Po Vstriechnoy, was the top album in Russia in 2001, while its English version, 200 Km/H In the Wrong Lane, was released in 2002 to growing acclaim.

SEX APPEAL

Evaluating the sexiness of T.A.T.U. can be a tricky business. During their first two years as a duet, Julia and Lena were minors, and even then they made no secret of their lesbian attraction, even if, as it appears, it's a little insincere.

That said, Julia and Lena are now both 18 years old (Lena is a few months older than Julia), and when they kiss in their video for "All the Things She Said," it's often just part of their Machiavellian marketing scheme. They've also appeared on the cover of the Russian Maxim, half-naked. So if borderline lesbianism doesn't bother you (and we're quite certain it won't), the T.A.T.U. girls are indeed a hot pair.

SUCCESS

For two girls still in their teens, Julia and Lena have certainly come a long way. These glasnost babies have been able to get ahead in the freewheeling post-Soviet Russia. T.A.T.U.'s debut album, 200 Km/H in the Wrong Lane, has become a top seller (as well as album of the year) in Russia and abroad -- over a million copies sold, and counting. And their video for "All the Things She Said" even won MTV Russia's Video of the Year award in 2001.

At the same time, these teenaged nymphs still have a lot of ground to cover. They're not particularly well known outside of pop circles, especially since they've only been around for a little over two years and have put out one album. There's still some debate as to whether T.A.T.U. will prove to be another flash in the pan, one-hit-wonder outfit. Critics and fans agree that the potential is there; it's up to Julia and Lena to capitalize on it.

T.A.T.U. Biography

The Russian teen duet T.A.T.U. -- a.k.a. t.A.T.u., Tatoo, Tatu, Taty -- consists of Yulia (Julia) Olegovna Volkova and Elena (Lena) Sergeevna Katina. The Moscow natives were born only a few months apart; Lena on October 4, 1984, and Julia on February 20, 1985. The two have been friends since childhood, and have been quite active, both pursuing such diverse hobbies as figure skating, ballroom dancing, swimming; Julia also spent five years taking tennis lessons.

Interest in music came early to the T.A.T.U. girls, and they both wanted to be singers. From 1994 to 1997, Lena was a member of the children's pop group "Avenue," and afterwards she joined Julia in another group, "Neposedi." In 1998, Julia was kicked out of the group for misbehaving and disrupting other band members. Lena stayed on for another year. Meanwhile, both girls attended local Moscow high schools and even found time to take piano lessons.

enter the producer

In 2000, a former ad man named Ivan Shapovalov decided to take a crack at producing a pop band. After holding auditions, he picked Julia and Lena as the best, then set them up as a duet. The two were signed to a demanding contract; they were strictly controlled, and told how to behave at press conferences. By October, T.A.T.U. had released their first single and video, "Ya Soshla S Uma" (it was originally translated to "I've Lost My Mind"), which later appeared on their debut album, 200 Po Vstriechnoy. Both quickly became hits.

Soon T.A.T.U. went on tour in Russia. Their routine at concerts -- with precise stage directions, such as when to move about, how to act, even how to partially strip -- has stayed the same over two years. But the girls didn't object and the discipline paid off; before long they were a pop sensation in Russia. International tours followed in other countries including Germany, Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Israel.

conquering the west

T.A.T.U. reached its next plateau in 2002, when the duet began rerecording their album in English for release in the UK and Germany. The project was supervised by famed pop music producer Trevor Horn, and the album, now called 200 Km/H in the Wrong Lane was completed in April. T.A.T.U. traveled to America to promote the English-language release, schmoozing in Los Angeles and New York. By September, the album and single "All the Things She Said" -- the renamed "I've Lost My Mind" -- were released, becoming a smash. The album's second release, "Not Gonna Get Us," was already a hit in Russia and is now getting airplay on American radio stations.

Despite their overnight success, Julia and Lena haven't let it go to their heads. The pair are still in school. Julia attends the State Musical Variety and Jazz Arts School to hone her vocal skills, while Lena -- whose favorite author is Russian great Fyodor Dostoevsky -- attends Moscow State University, where she studies psychology.